Bowling pin setting machine



J 1953 J. F. TIMBERLAKE 2,641,471

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a Q JZO Patented June 9, 1953 UN IT ED. STATES AT'E'NT OF BOWLINGPIN' SETTING MACHINE Journey'F; Timberlake, Charlottesville, Vat. Application January 8, 1941, seminmzoxzau;

(o1:- area-43a flit-Claims. 1

This invention' relates toa" mechanical pin setter for-use with loowlingelleys.

I In recent" times ithasbecomeincreasingly difficult to secure labor for setting pins in bowling 'all'eys' andit has also-"become necessary to pay those engaged in theoccupation increasingly higher-wages; The'result of'this condition is, of course; to" cut the profit of bowling" alley owners excessively and to increase: the price which users of the "alleys-must pay for the privilege. Ithas become increasingly evident that the only immediate' solution to the'dim'culty is the' provision of-"mech'anical pinsetting equipment to take the place of' the human pin setter.

Mechanical pin -setting:equipment; besides having theaadvantage of lowering the COStiDGI' game of *the sport, also provides an added inducement for the customers-who"- are: fascinated by the idea of the bowli-ng pins: being: set by purely mechanical means; Particularly in the caseoi the vpresent device, as will: bebrought out in videspin: setting mechanism-which mayrbie, controlledvironr-a"remotezpoint; such as-the'bowlers anti-of the r-valley; whereby the: operator is. able tOxOOIltlOl at willlthe operationiof the machine.

A further object: of the: invention 1531303; pro ride a mechanical pin setter having: a novel come rbination'tofi mechanical,- velectrical iand :fiui'd operated,;interlecks: to assure-the correct opera;- tion of;the. machine;

Still another object of; the invention is: to :provide ina mechanical pin setter; anovel apparatus for distributing; the: pins; novel means below the .level frthecalley 'for; receiving the pins as they are.;set;..novel means -for sweeping pins from the alley and novel means-for assuringthat. the pins are correctly oriented before they reach the ap paratusa which distributes the pins.-

These: and other objects of'theinventi'on will be apparent from the followingspecification-and thie -accompanying drawings; in which:

Figureflisa side elevational view of themechaa; nism" at the rear;- end; of the alley and* showing the travelingcarriager-at the forward position Figure--2*isa" view similar to Figure '1 'but' with the carriage in the rearposition; one of the pinyreceivers, elevatedg and witha considerable part of *the apparatus omitted for the pu-r pose of simplicity;

Figure 3 is atop planview of the'rear 'end of the alley'with the-carriage in the forward'posb tion;

Figure 4 isafront elevational view of'themech anism shown in Figure-1;

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view-taken-through the upper part of the carriageanci'supportihg framework on line S -S ofFigure 3';

Figure 61s a detail 'viewwofth'e mechanism for indexing the rotary' distributor;

Figure 7' is adet'aiI'plan-view of the-forward portion of the-- apparatus shown 'in-Fig-ure l including" the carriage and the rotary-distributor;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 but show ing only the-means'ior operating the oscillating "pin movement-1 regulating member,"

Figure '9 is aside elevational viewsimilar to Figure 8;

' Figure=10 is a detail side elevational :vieywshowing the mode of attachmentof the traveling carriage to the chain by which it is moved;

Figure 11 is a detail cross: sectional "view: taken on line l'I----l I of Figure 'Yshowing partly schematically the means for opening: the-sliding: doors below the rotary distributor;

Figure 12 is a detail sectional *viewiof the door operating: piston and yoke arrangement-"shown in Figure l1;

Figure 13 is a detail'cross sectional view taken on line I3 3-of Figure 7'.

Figure 14 is a detail sectional viewnofth'elower end' of one or the pin" chutes showing the pin steadyingarms;

Figure 15 'is"adiagrammaticview of one of the pneumaticdoor-opening and pin-receiver raising systems, it being understood that thereare ten" identical systems the machine.

Figure 16 is -a-side-elevational'viewi or"- oneof the electro-magnetic-valve operating deviceswith portionsof the device" broken away for purposes'of clarity.-

Fig-ure 1'7 is a perspective view of' the-plugand-sock'et connecting means by; which thestationary portions of the pneumatic system" are connected to those portions of thepneumatic system l which" are carried by-thetraveling carnage:

Figure 18* is" a' cross sectional view taken through the structure shown in Figure 17 to show the details of the inner construction thereof.

Figure 19 is a detail plan view of the pit framework and pin receivers carried thereby.

Figure 20 is a side elevational view of the devices shown in Figure 19.

Figure 21 is a detail side elevational view of one of the pin receivers showing the mounting -means therefor.

Figure 22 is a detail cross sectional view taken on line 22-22 of Figure 21.

Figure 23 is a detail cross sectional view of the base of one of the pin receivers taken on the line 23--23 of Figure 21.

Figure 24 is a diagrammatic view of the conveyor system of the apparatus.

Figure 25 is a detail front elevational view of the lower end of the sub-conveyor showing the means by which pins and balls are picked up by the conveyor.

Figure 26 is a detail side elevational view of the upper end of the sub-conveyor. v

Figure 2'7 is a detail front elevational view of the upper end of the sub-conveyor.

Figure 28 is a view similar to Figure 27 but showing the removal of a ball from the subconveyor.

Figure 29 is a detail front elevational view of the upper end of the main conveyor.

Figure 30 is a wiring diagram of the electrical system employed with the apparatus.

Figure 31 is a diagram of that part of the electrical system which controls the movement of the traveling carriage.

Figure 32 is a detail front elevational view of the switch arrangement which is operated by the chain which moves the carriage.

Figure 33 is a side elevational view of two of the switches mounted at the limit of the rearward motion of the carriage and operated thereby.

Figure 34 is a detail view showing the position of one of the switches operated by the carriage as it enters and leaves its forward paratus is controlled.

Figure 37 is a detail side elevation of a modified version of the mounting of the bridge-like framework at the front of the machine," and Figure 38 is an electrical diagram of a modified electrical circuit for the machine.

In order to facilitate the understanding of the operation and construction of the apparatus a brief summary of the device will be helpful at this point. In general, the apparatus comprises a mechanism located at the rear of a bowling alley which, under the control of the operator, for instance, the bowler, sweeps the pins from their positions at the rear of the alley into a sloping walled hopper which also receives the bowling balls. The pins and balls pass from the hopper to an endless conveyor known as the sub-conveyor which carries the pins and balls through a device which removes the balls and directs them to a trackway-like device upon which they roll back to the bowler at the forward portion of the alley.

The sub-conveyor carries the pins either base up or base down and a novel mechanism is provided at the upper end of the sub-conveyor for orienting the pins after which they fall base first into a chute which guides them to the main conveyor.

The main conveyor carries the pins with their bases bottommost to an elevated position where they fall into a chute which serves both as a storage place for the pins and as a means for guiding the pins to a rotary distributor.

The rotary distributor is carried by a movable carriage which may be moved between a forward position a substantial distance toward the front of the alley from the portion of the alley upon which the pins are set, and a rearward position directly over the pin receiving portion of the alley. The rotary distributor is provided with a plurality of pin receiving compartments and is alignable with a plurality of chutes which are part of the movable carriage. When the carriage is in its forward position, the rotary distributor is rotated constantly so that any empty pin receiving compartments receive pins, one to each compartment, from the chute which extends from the upper end of the main conveyor.

When the carriage is moved to its rearward position for the purpose of setting pins, sliding doors positioned one at the upper end of each of the chutes carried by the movable carriage, are opened so that pins may fall from the compartments in the rotary distributor through the chutes in the movable carriage for setting.

When the pins fall from the chutes of the movable carriage, they fall into pin receivers which are located below the level of the alley, one pin receiver being positioned at each of the ten spots upon which the pins are set. The upper ends of the pin receivers are normally flush with the upper surface of the alley but when the receivers are extended upwardly to receive pins from the movable carriage, the pin receivers form cup-like devices which receive the pins and then lower the pins to their set po sitions on the alley.

When the bowler has bowled a ball and wishes to clear dead wood, that is, fallen pins, from the alley, and thereafter to reset the pins which have remained standing, he operates a control which causes the movable carriage to move rearwardly carrying with it a sweep which is lowered by the first portion of the rearward movement of the carriage and which sweeps the pins from the alley during the rearmost portion of the rearward movement of the carriage. With all of the pins swept from the alley, the bowler then operates the control devices to set those of the pins which he wishes to replace, whereupon the proper pin receivers are moved upwardly out of the floor and the proper sliding doors in the movable carriage open to permit pins to fall into the receivers. The bowler then operates the control devices again to cause the pin receivers to return to their positions flush with the floor, carrying with them the pins which are to be set, and cause the movable carriage to return to its forward position. The forward movement of the carriage lifts the sweep clear of the alley, and when the carriage reaches its forward position, the rotary distributor automatically begins to receive pins from the storage chute to replace those pins which have been set.

Two or preferably three full sets of pins are used with each alley to assure a ready supply of pins at all times.

The apparatus includes a novel interlocking arrangement of pneumatic means, electrical apparatusg. and: other; control E devices-ifon'assuri-ng the proper'isequencel of operations oil the device. Tor. proceed now: with: a; detailed:v description or? apparatus: as; shown 1 in; ail-preferred; emxe bodiment in' the drawin ssthe :supportingjfram'ee works. for; the". device: includes; downwardly: ex? tending: 'members:.50 whiclriarei supported from the-1. ceiling or the:- establi's'hmenti and which support a' pair of s longitudinal frame members 51- which: carry tracks 52? (Figures viii and; 1.0.), the'purposeoftwhichmwill b.e:described:presently; Other frames-members. 53Z-are positioned: above the rear: end; or the 2 alley, .the: bowling surface ofwhichis? indicated by the; numeral 54-; Up:

wardly extending.- frame: members: 55? mounted to permit passage of pins and the-balls there-' through; Referring now to Figurev25," the pins and" ballspass from hopper 6E)- onto: a slanting wall 62' whioh' guidesthem into contact. with the lower 'end of the sub-conveyor which :isdenoted generally "by the'numeral 63'." The upper portion oi fwall 62* is slanted toward the conveyor the bail-andpin receiving portion of which extends at an angle 'to the vertical away *from Wall 1642. The lower portion '54- of 'vvall fi-" extends at an angle'to-the upper portion of wallfiZ and .is generally parallel to the path of travel 01 I the sub conveyor 63 so-that pins railing intothe spacebetween wallportion 64 and the sub-conveyor be:- come aligned withthesub-conveyorrand" are pickedup thereby. The distance betweerrthe wall portiorr 54 and the sub-conveyor is slightly smaller thanqthe--diametercoia bowling. ball so that the balls do not fall into this space but are picked up by the conveyor at' the point wh'ere the wall, 62 begins to slope-away from the con=- veyor.

sub-conveyor The. conveyor 63 comprises a pair--cf spaced metalliclinkbeltsfill I provided withj-ltransversely extending pick-up members 69 which; as'shown in Figure 26, have a broedenedcentralportion-- and which arespacedlapart a .distancesubstantially greater. than the vlength. ofia bowling'p Link beltsttjpass over upper sprockets. um and lowersprocketsfll, being driven, from the lower sprockets .H Jhich in turn are driven by means which will bedescribedipresently,

Alrounded sheetmetalguide member 12 (Fig uresxl and through 28) is positionediadjacent and parallel to the underside of the upper stretch of sub-conveyor 63 so .thatpins, as shown at 73 in'Figure 27, rest on cross links 69. of the conveyor andslide-a-long the guide member 'iziin their up;- ward travel iinrthesubt-conveyon, It willbe-apparenttirom the Figures -26:-and 2'7 that the; link belts -681'0f13h'6 sub-conveyor are separated; by. a distance" slightly greater than the-largest diam.- eterof-"a pin. The diameter oiabowlingbal-l is slightly greater than the distancenbetween the twolink-belts-oii of the sub-conveyorxand this difference in diameter is taken advantage of: in re- 'curvedlportionr or": 'theaifishaped:

moying; the. balls:fromztheasuheconveyerr durin theirtrupward movementdzherein.

The "removal pt :thecba'lls-zfrom'the:subec0x1veyo1 is. accomplished:aszshownzinfiligureeZS, therer'bezing shown therein in solid. lines azballfifitresting against the:twozlink..beltsrofitheasub+conveyorand againstonexofnthe-,zcrosszzmembers:88of thEESUb'I- conveyor: cain liket-deflectors i7 ail addaeent: the'qupper 2 surface 1. of; each beltzfit along the-path o-f'fupwardr 'movement thea belt andnearthe upper-sprockets 10m. The trackway Ell-which returns thezballs ;to::the bowl-er extends to a point near the lower ends:ot thexLcamelike deflectors H andhas a transversely directed portion having side walls 8| which extend to points on eacl'i'side of the sub-conveyor near the defiec tors. H. 'Ihe' fioorof the transversely directed portion of th'e track way: comprises a il'exiblerpiece c t-fiberboard or other:si-milarimaterial asdenoted by the numeral 82 and' exten'ds towardtliersube conveyor-to apointiseparated from thesubleconeveyor by aadis'tance less than the diameter: otfa bowli'ng' ball} Amend-portion 83 0i floor member 82" is out out' in a circular manner "to facilitate passage of an. upwardly moving 'ball past the memberfifwhich bends upwardly topermit passage of-the ball andthen' resumes itsrnormalsub stantiallyhorizontal or slightly tilting: position afterthe ball isv moved aboveiti After a ball has moved past fioor memberdi to the broken-line position oiiEiguraZS and oontlnues moving upwardly, the deflectorsi 'i'li remove the ball from the-sub conveyor in thesman ner shown by the broken-line balls "of =Figures28, the ball falling onto floor portion 82 and passing from there to the: trackwayufi0 'by.-whiclrwit isareturned to the bowler ina conventional manner:

Returning: now P to the: pins which are being carried upwardly' by: the" subeconveyor-x: inthe manner shown in' Figures 26fiand 27', it willjbe noted that because of the previously described ar rangement at tli'e bottom of the-sub-conveyor, some-of the pins are picked-up: by 'the'suh-zeorrveyor with their base uppermost asthencase of ii -while others are pickedfupiwith" their base bbttomnrost as intlie case of pi-n 713d off-igure 27.

As-it-is desired thatall o-fthe pinsrpassz t'o'cthe mail-r conveyor; which will "bezdescribed'ipresently, the b'aseeoi theepinbottommost, a zn'ovelipin orienting device -is provided at the upperrend 10f the sub corweyorrwhiehnevi/ will be described;

The pin. orienting means Aseshowmin Figures-a1; 3., 4;. Zdand Hither-pin orientingdevicescomprises:a=U'-shaped;;membier pivotally'mounted'a shortidistancesabovezsproclret wheel "ill a;- on i an upstanding zfr'ame 1 members i Anwarm; flalcarryingr aaweig-htzis; fixedtootheeend of portiorr =92Pot u shaped'mcnrber 9'0; arnirvflarbee ing positioned at an acuteeangleurelativeeto: the .lenrber Qllrima re-st position extended. downwardiyr at 1 a? small angle-from tiiexvertical.) I

As: shown in Figure: 27 the?Lishapedtmember 90 is -spaced a suifiicien-t distanceabove;sprocket ltaleo-that a pin: such aspin- Hamovingupwardly in thesconveyor With-itssneck uppermost reaches a position in which the neck of the ,pini'rests'ein the curved-portionof' 'u sh'aped membemflilliand, as the pin'is-'carried further upwardly ibylthetsub conveyorythe member :Stcpivots ton-the dotted line position' showmin figure- 27 with the.- necks Oifi 1 the pin stilllsupportediby the; curved: portion oft-the pine irrembeifirflilc As the.--pin:,passes.-dead center "as shown by dotted lines in Figure 2'7, it falls base bottommost into a chute 94 which .curves to the rear'of the sub-conveyor as shown-in Figure l to carry the pin to the main conveyor which is yet to be described.

In the case of a pin such as pin I3 of Figure 27 moving upwardly in the sub-conveyor with its base uppermost, it will be clear from the figure that the spacing of member 90 permits the pin to move base uppermost over the top of sprocket wheel 10a without being affected by member 90, the pin falling base down into chute 94 for passage to the main conveyor.

The main conveyor The main conveyor will now be described with reference to Figures 1, 3, 4, 24 and 29. In general construction the main conveyor is similar to the sub-conveyor as it comprises a pair of metallic link belts I spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the largest diameter of the pin and provided at spaced intervals with transversely extending pin supporting members II" as in the case of the sub-conveyor previously described. Chains I00 run over freely running lower sprocket Wheels I02=and I03 carried by appropriate shafts mounted on a portion of the rear frame of the device in an appropriate manner. As the details of the mounting of these sprocket wheels do not comprise any part of the invention and as they may be mounted in any conventional manner, the mounting brackets are omitted in portions of the drawings to facilitate a clearer showing of more important details of the invention.

At the upper end of the main conveyor, chains I00 (Figures 3 and 4) run over sprocket wheels I05 which are fixed to a rotatably mounted shaft I06 supported by brackets I01. Shaft I 06 also carries a wheel I08 which is driven by a belt and pulley arrangement I09 from an electric motor IIO supported by transverse frame member 53. In this manner motor IIO rotates wheel I08 and thereby rotates shaft I06 and sprocket wheels I05 to drive the main conveyor and move the endless belts I00 thereof counterclockwise as viewed in Figures 4 and 24.

Sheet metal guide members II2 positioned about the upwardly moving parts of chains I00 provide a guideway for the upwardly moving pins, the upper end of the outer member I I2 extending a short distance above the upper sprockets I05. Members II 2 terminate at their lower ends a short distance above the point at which chute 94 feeds pins to the main conveyor. Lower pin receiving guide II3 (Figure 4) partially surrounds the lower portion of the upwardly moving portions of chains I00 and is positioned so as to receive pins from chute 94 and guide the pins into contact with transverse members IOI of the main conveyor. There need be no bottom or detent in the interior of guide II3 due to the fact that the spacing of transverse pin supporting members IOI of the conveyor is such that one of the members IOI reaches the lower end of guide I I3 by the time the next preceding member IOI leaves the upper end of guide II3. This, of course, is also a question of the length of guide II3.

At the upper end of the main conveyor a pin deflector I I5 (Figure 29) mounted on a vertically extending frame member I I6 extends transversely at an angle above the upper end of the conveyor so as to leave a space between deflector I I5 and upper sprocket wheel I05 sufliciently large to permit passage of a pin lying on its side. As shown in Figure 29, as 'a pin II'I reaches the upper end of the main conveyor, it strikes deflector II 5 and as the chain continues moving, the base of the pin is carried over the top of sprocket I05 while the upper end of the pin is held against moving by deflector II5. This causes rotation of the pin from a vertical position to a more or less horizontal position and permits the conveyor to carry the pin in this horizontal position in the direction of movement of the chain that is to the left as viewed in Figure 29. As the pin passes over the upper end of the conveyor it falls into a forwardly extended guide chute I I8 provided in its bottom with rollers II 9 or other friction decreasing means, and which serves to guide the pin to the rotary distributor which will be described in detail presently.

Returning now to lower sprocket I03 of the main conveyor, this sprocket is keyed to a shaft I2I which drives a transversely extending link belt I22 by means of a rearwardly positioned sprocket I23 (Figures 4 and 24). Belt I22 runs over appropriate sprockets I24 and cooperates with a sprocket I25 which drives another sprocket I26. Sprocket I26 drives a belt I21 which transmits rotary movement to sprocket wheel I28 keyed to a shaft I29 to which are also keyed lower sprocket wheels II of the sub-conveyor. In this manner motor I I0 drives the subconveyor through the medium of the main conveyor and the belt and pulley connection I09.

It might be well to point out at this time that according to the preferred embodiment of the invention described herein, the conveyor system is set into motion when the alley is to be used and continues running continually until turned oil at the termination of use of the alley, such as at the time a bowler discontinues the game or at the close of business each day. Other types of conveyors can be used with the machine if desired and I do not wish to be limited to the particular conveyor system I have described.

The movable carriage and rotary distributor Chute II8 which has been described previously and which receives pins base downward from the upper end of the main conveyor serves both as a means for guiding the pins to the rotary distributor and as a storage place for pins when the rotary distributor is full. Inasmuch as more than theten pins set at any one time and preferably three full sets or 30 pins are used with the machine, it is not unusual for there to be several pins stacked in chute H8.

The rotary distributor designated generally by the numeral I40 comprises a circular sheet metal drum slightly deeper from top to bottom than the length of a bowling pin, and having ten circularly disposed pin-receiving openings or compartments MI extendingvertically therethrough. The distributor I40 is mounted for rotation about its center by means of a suitable pivot bolt I42 which extends downwardly through the center of the distributor and is supported by a flat wooden or sheet metal member I43 which comprises the upper side of a movable carriage designated generally by the numeral I45.

The movable carriage has a flat lower member I 40 which is suspended a considerable dis tance below upper member I43 by means of vertically extending rods I41. The upper and lower members I43 and I 86 are rectangular in shape and the four rods I41 are .positioned one at each corner of the carriage. 

